


High School

by CookieDoughMe



Series: Nate Hansen AU [3]
Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: M/M, brief reference to domestic violence, nate hansen au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 21:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11090484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CookieDoughMe/pseuds/CookieDoughMe
Summary: AU based on the idea that Nathan grew up with Max Hansen for a father, and therefore is much closer to Duke than in canon since they now have much more in common.





	High School

In between the petty crime and cons they ran around the school (and the occasional class they attended) Duke and Nate each usually had a least one part time job on the go. Being the little coastal fishing town that Haven was, most of those jobs involved the sea in some way or another and as they were both determined to leave town as soon as possible, that was just fine by them.

And so, they didn’t do just the work they were told to do, they asked questions every chance they got; _How does that work? Why did you do it that way? Can I try that next time?_ They hung around past their shift if they could, soaking up any little bit of information on offer. Some of the people they badgered with questions told them to get lost, but that just meant they learnt the best ways to ask, along with everything else they picked up.

The teachers at the high school tended to be more surprised when they turned up for classes than when they weren’t there; most of the staff had long since written them off as just another Crocker, just another Hansen. It was an impression they encouraged because it meant no one tried to tell them what to do, or to stop them from doing the things they wanted.

There was one person who tried though. Garland Wuornos, local detective, knew better than most what their fathers were like, and had an all-too clear idea of what both of their home lives would  be like. He’d tried to keep an eye out for them, hoping to protect them from the worst of their violent and drunken fathers’ excesses. He knew he hadn’t been very successful.

He felt in particular for the Hansen kid who had called him out to his place years ago. Garland never doubted the truth of it, but with nothing in the way of evidence and without the mother’s testimony he hadn’t known what he could do. He’d tried to talk to her but, it hadn’t gone well.

So now, he talked to Nate. Or, he tried at least; it was another conversation that didn’t go very well.

“I know people will tell you that Hansens and Crockers are all the same, but it’s not true; the Crockers are worse. You need to stay away from him, son.”

“One, you’re not my Dad, so don’t call me ‘son’. Two, Duke Crocker has done more for me than you ever will, so I don’t know where you get off trying to tell either of us what to do. Leave me alone.”

That was one of the very few things Nate didn't tell Duke about. To even suggest that Duke was anything like Simon was ridiculous.

When prom came around, they both took dates. Nate went with Hannah Driscoll, though he knew she only wanted to go with him to annoy her father. She'd all but told him she wanted a known bad boy as a “fuck you” to the suffocating life the Rev. imposed on her.

Nate wondered if he should be more concerned that this declaration hadn’t really bothered him and he tried to explain this to Duke when he asked about his night.

“So, there was some, nudity but it was ... awkward. How was your night?”

“Yeah same I guess,” said Duke with a shrug.

“You know, Hannah actually told me she thought I would want to take you.”

“Ha! Just imagine; as if this town doesn’t think we’re freaks enough already. Can you imagine the two of us dancing together at the prom?” he stood and pulled Nate up with him into a dance, their hands on each other’s shoulders and hips, swaying to imaginary music as he laughed.

Nate grinned back at him. “We could have given someone a heart attack.”

Slowly, they stopped swaying to music that wasn’t there, but they didn’t move apart. “Thing is though,” said Duke after a moment, “this doesn’t feel awkward.”

“No,” agreed Nate. “It doesn’t.”

It didn’t feel awkward when they kissed either. Nate had grown more than Duke lately and was almost a head taller now. He had to bend down even as Duke stretched up to meet him and it was physically a little awkward for both of them. But even so, it felt like the kiss had always been inevitable; it felt like the most natural thing in the world.


End file.
